JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
BALTIMORE, MD
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Baltimore is nicknamed "Charm City."
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
MANHATTAN, KS
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Manhattan, Kansas, was the first of several American cities to be named after the island in New York.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MA (CREATIVE WRITING CONCENTRATION)
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
LEXINGTON, KY
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Lexington is home to a Jif plant that produces more peanut butter than any other factory on Earth.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
KENT, OH
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, and Playwriting.
💡 Kent is the birthplace of the legendary rock band DEVO, formed while the members were students at the university.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
LESLEY UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MA
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Stage & Screen, and YA.
💡 Located in the heart of Cambridge, the campus is just blocks away from Harvard Square.
FUNDING: TUITION-BASED
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: LOW
LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY
ST. CHARLES, MO
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 In 2002, the school gained national attention for its "Pork for Tuition" program, allowing rural families to pay with livestock.
FUNDING: TUITION-BASED
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL/ONLINE
LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY (LIU BROOKLYN)
BROOKLYN, NY
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Playwriting.
💡 The name Brooklyn comes from the Dutch town Breukelen. In Dutch, broeck means marshland and lede means a small stream.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
BATON ROGUE, LA
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The university grounds contains over 1,200 historic live oak trees.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY
LOS ANGELES, CA
Specializations: Screenwriting.
💡 Westchester campus sits on a bluff with views of the Pacific Ocean and Los Angeles skyline.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA (SCREENWRITING)
RESIDENCY: FULL
LASELL UNIVERSITY
NEWTON, MA
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, CNF, Graphic Narrative, and YA.
💡 Solstice is one of the few programs offering a specialized track in Graphic Narratives and Comics.
FUNDING: MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: LOW
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA AT LAFAYETTE
LAFAYETTE, LA
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction.
💡 The campus has "Cypress Lake," a swamp where students can study alongside alligators and egrets.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MA (CONCENTRATION IN CREATIVE WRITING)
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
COLLEGE PARK, MD
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 College Park is the site of the world's oldest continuously operating airport, established by the Wright Brothers in 1909.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST
AMHERST, MA
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Amherst was the lifelong home of Emily Dickinson. Her house is a museum located just a short walk from campus.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS, TN
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Memphis is known as the "Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll."
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
CORAL GABLES, FL
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 One of the most famous landmarks in this city is the Venetian Pool.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR, MI
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The Ann Arbor Art Fair is one of the largest outdoor art fairs in the nation.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND + OTHER
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 While the Mall of America is famous, the concept started at Southdale Center in Minnesota.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
OXFORD, MS
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The Old Post Office on the Square was built in 1885 and is one of the oldest surviving federal buildings in North Mississippi.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS, MO
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 In 1911, St. Louis secured one of the first criminal convictions in U.S. history based solely on fingerprint evidence.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
MISSOULA, MT
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Missoula is situated in the middle of five mountain ranges.
FUNDING: FULL STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
STARKVILLE, MS
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 Long before it was a college destination, Starkville was nicknamed "Hog Town."
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MA (EMPHASIS ON CREATIVE WRITING)
MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY
SPRINGFIELD, MO
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Springfield is the "Birthplace of Route 66," officially named during a telegram meeting in the city in 1926.
FUNDING: STIPEND AVAILABLE
DEGREE: MA
RESIDENCY: FULL
NAROPA UNIVERSITY
BOULDER, CO
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Boulder has more atmospheric and space scientists per capita than anywhere else in the nation.
FUNDING: MERIT FELLOWSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL/LOW
NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY
FLAGSTAFF, AZ
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Flagstaff is the world's first "International Dark Sky City."
FUNDING: GTA + TUITION WAIVER
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
MARQUETTE, MI
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Located blocks from Lake Superior, Northern Michigan University has the world's only domed football stadium made entirely of wood.
FUNDING: FULL TUITION WAIVER + STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
COLUMBUS, OH
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 White Castle began in Columbus, the first fast-food hamburger chain in the world.
FUNDING: FULL TUITION + MONTHLY STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
NORFOLK, VA
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 At Doumar’s Confections in Norfolk, you can still see the original four-iron machine that launched the waffle cone into history.
FUNDING: TUITION REMISSION + STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
CORVALLIS, OR / BEND, OR
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Corvallis city was originally named Marysville.
FUNDING: GTA STIPEND/MERIT
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL/LOW
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
EUGENE, OR
Specializations: Fiction and Poetry.
💡 The film National Lampoon’s "Animal House" was filmed almost entirely on the University of Oregon campus.
FUNDING: FULLY FUNDED + STIPEND
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: FULL
PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
FOREST GROVE, OR / PORTLAND, OR
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 Portland was almost named Boston, Oregon. The city’s name was decided by a best-of-three penny toss between two settlers, Francis Pettygrove and Asa Lovejoy.
FUNDING: MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: LOW
PACIFIC LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
TACOMA, WA
Specializations: Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction.
💡 On clear days, the campus features a direct view of Mount Rainier.
FUNDING: INSTITUTIONAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS
DEGREE: MFA
RESIDENCY: LOW
LAST UPDATED: MAY 13, 2026
SEARCH 100+ CREATIVE WRITING DEGREES & PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ABROAD. INCLUDES MFA PROGRAMS, MA WITH EMPHASIS IN CREATIVE WRITING, AND PHD TRACKS. EXPLORE DIFFERENT RESIDENCY OPTIONS, FUNDING AVAILABILITIES, AND GENRE SPECIALIZATIONS.
Listings are for informational purposes and updated regularly. Inclusion does not imply endorsement or partnership. We do not accept or seek monetary payment from individuals in exchange for listings, sponsorship from corporations or other entities, 'partnership fees,' 'partnership' labels, or 'partnership' agreements from academic programs, private businesses, or individuals. We do not accept any form of paid advertisements or private, non-monetary agreements.